5 paperback pick-me-ups this Valentine’s Day

February is here, folks, and we’ve got a brand-new reading list to go with it

Whether you plan on snuggling up with your special one this Valentine's Day or not, it's not easy to avoid the day altogether, so you might as well occupy yourself with gripping page-turners or self-love prescriptions. Here's our list of books you won't be able to put down in this season of love.

1. The one for getting over a heartbreakSkip past the mourning and head straight to your best life possible with Aiden, a complicated and very expensive piece of software that can calculate a perfect specimen based on observations and unique algorithms. Venture into the life of Jen, a thirty-something woman who just came out of a relationship and faces a flawless romance plan crafted by the artificially intelligent machine.

2. The one for the self-declared #foreveralonePessimism and loneliness are things of the past when Ollie attempts to break down Daphne's carefully built defences. For someone suffering from a rare medical condition where her body shuts down when she feels strong emotions, Daphne hides behind her strong armour to avoid passion, disappointment and surprise but to no avail.

3. The one to celebrate happy-clappy daysA six-week long Italian summer romance created the experience of a lifetime that Elio and Oliver never expected. While the pair believed that feigning indifference on first sight could prevent any spark of romance, they end up succumbing to unrelenting currents of overwhelming love, obsession and fascination. Embark on the short-lived yet powerful romance that unfolds the most unexpected chapter of their lives.

4. The one for a treat yo' self remedyBe it a frosty scoop of ice scream straight from the tub, creamy and cheesy scrambled eggs or a fuzzy, perfectly-ripe peach, you're in for a treat to counter those irregular hunger pangs. From fad diets, food crazes and guilt-laden meals, Ruby Tandoh brings you straightforward yet sympathetic advice on mental health, recipe ideas and shopping tips that will help you fall back in love with food.

5. The one for when you can't be bothered with lovey-dovey what-notsIf you're not one for the intelligence defeating, illogical emotional gush we call love, pick up this unconventional story of Bella's journey into deafness and back to hearing. Twelve years of missed punchlines and hearing aids was what it took before the chance to hear again was presented to Bella Bathurst, who explored what it meant to live with just four senses.